| # Kotlin Analysis API Development Guidelines |
| |
| This series of guides provides comprehensive instructions for developing and maintaining the Kotlin Analysis API. They are intended for: |
| |
| - **JetBrains developers** working on the Analysis API core, implementations, and platform integrations |
| - **External contributors** submitting patches and improvements to the Analysis API |
| - **Tool developers** who want to understand the design philosophy and best practices behind the API |
| |
| The guidelines cover API design principles, implementation patterns, naming conventions, and evolution strategies that help maintain |
| consistency and quality across the codebase. |
| |
| ## What is the Analysis API? |
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| The Kotlin Analysis API is a library for analyzing Kotlin code at the semantic level. It provides a structured way to query information |
| about Kotlin code, including symbols, types, and semantic relationships between them. Built on top of Kotlin's |
| [PSI](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/docs/intellij/psi.html) syntax trees, the API offers a clean abstraction over the compiler's internal |
| representations, making it accessible both for IDE plugin makers and command-line tool developers. |
| |
| Check the [Analysis API documentation](https://kotl.in/analysis-api) for more information. |
| |
| ## Guidelines |
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| ### **[API Development Guide](api-development.md)** |
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| This document covers principles and practices for developing new Analysis API endpoints, including design patterns, naming conventions, |
| documentation standards, and requirements for API implementations. |
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| ### **[API Evolution Guide](api-evolution.md)** |
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| This document covers the lifetime of individual Analysis API endpoints from introduction to deprecation. |
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| ### **[Endpoint Card](endpoint-card.md)** |
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| A template for systematic analysis of existing API endpoints to support refactoring, enhancement, or deprecation decisions. |
